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What Sport Tells Us About Life: Bradman's Average, Zidane's Kiss And Other Sporting Lessons. Ed Smith (2000)

by Ed Smith(Favorite Author)

3.55 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

0670917222 (ISBN13: 9780670917228)

languge

English

genre

Picture Books

publisher

Viking Books

review 1: A book by an English professional cricket player is a collection of essays on sports' lessons for life. Some are quite insightful, and Smith is both well-read and knows a decent amount about other sports, particularly baseball. That said, the essay for me that would have been the best--whether capitalism is good for sports--was completely off the mark, missing the point that European soccer is pure capitalism, leading to amazing club teams that often hemorrhage money while American sports, particularly football, are incredibly socialist with salary caps and revenue sharing such that tiny markets like Green Bay and Jacksonville have teams and LA has none. He seemed to conclude that parity rules in soccer, when it doesn't, and focused too much on baseball and cricket wher... moree the money wars are different.
review 2: Without wanting to damn with faint praise, it is a really interesting book. Sport is ultimately all about having fun, but Ed Smith adds an analytical and intellectual approach to the meaning of sport which, grafted onto his own experiences as an international sportsman, casts some events in a totally new light. I love books about sport that also make you think, and this is almost up there with Simon Barnes' book for quality. less

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